To make the desert bloom has been a human ambition for centuries.
Before becoming refugees, the diet of the Saharawi people comprised mainly camel meat, and few vegetables.
United Nations rations have since sustained two generations in exile. The UN states that individuals need a daily intake of 2,000 calories. Due to donor fatigue, the Saharawi are not currently reaching that goal.
Instead of relying on the UN, some refugees are taking matters into their own hands by growing fruit and vegetables. These men and women are making the desert bloom.
Meet the Gardener
Mohammed Ali Barka studied Engineering in Cuba, before working on farms across Europe.
In exile, Ali Barka started a vegetable patch beside his house, using a drip method of irrigation.
Ali Barka has since grown enough fruit and vegetables to feed his family and donate to his neighbours. He’s beginning to turn desert agriculture into a business, selling spare produce to the community.
The Gardener hopes to help out-of-work engineers learn new skills which can one day be brought back to a liberated Western Sahara.